Daniel 4:1-27

King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.

  How great are his signs,
    how mighty his wonders!
  His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. 10 The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

13 “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! 20 The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, 21 whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived—22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 23 And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ 24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25 that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. 26 And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

(ESV)

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  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

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Chapter four is a unique chapter in the Bible as it is the only chapter written by a pagan. It is written from Nebuchadnezzar’s point of view and is the testimony of God’s work in his life. It opens and closes with a prayer of praise. The parts of this chapter not written in the first person describe the period of the king’s madness to which he would not have been a rational witness. The events described happened toward the end of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, about thirty years after the incident with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the furnace.

King Nebuchadnezzar was living in a state of ease and prosperity. He had conquered and subdued his enemies and was in a period facing no threat to his authority. But God gave him a dream that shattered his peace and left him afraid. Once again he called all the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers to interpret his dream. This time he told them the content of the dream but they were still unable to interpret it. For some reason, Daniel was late in arriving before the king. Whatever the reason, God used the delay to once again show that the wise men were unable to interpret the king’s dream. The king acknowledged that Daniel was unique because he had “the spirit of the holy gods” with him. The inclusion that Daniel had been named Belteshazzar after the name of his god, is a reminder that the king was a worshipper of other gods at this point in his life.

In his dream, the king saw a tall tree in the middle of the earth. The tree grew tall and strong so that it reached high into the sky and was visible throughout the earth. It had beautiful leaves and abundant fruit that provided food for all. Animals of the field found shade under it and the birds lived in its branches and everything was fed from it. Then an angel came from heaven and made a proclamation to have the tree chopped down but to leave its stump in the ground protected with a band (or fence) of iron and bronze. At this point the proclamation begins to use a personal pronoun, the tree clearly represents a man. He was to be exposed to the elements of nature and to eat grass like animals. His mind was to be changed from that of a man to that of an animal. He would begin to believe he was an animal, a psychological phenomenon known as boanthropy (when a person believes themself to be a bovine). This infliction would affect him for seven periods of time. This is believed to mean seven years, seven full cycles of all the seasons.

After the king told Daniel the dream, he was alarmed and shaken by the implications. Daniel would have preferred that the dream and its interpretation were for the king’s enemies rather than for the king. He explained that the tree that had grown large and provided food and shade represented the king who had become strong and his dominion had reached the ends of the known earth. The message was a decree from God, the Most High, that he would be driven away from men to live amongst the animals for seven years in order to recognise that it is the Lord who rules the kingdoms of men and gives it to whom He wills. God remains sovereign over every human ruler and they only hold the position they hold because God has established them to do His will. But there was a glimmer of hope. The protection of the stump meant that Nebuchadnezzar would be restored to the throne once he repented and acknowledged God’s sovereignty (that Heaven rules). Daniel then offered the king counsel, that he discontinue his sinful pride and practice acts of righteousness including acts of mercy to the oppressed. If he were to forsake his pride and submit to God, then there was the possibility that God would relent from punishing him and he could avoid the seven years of predicted judgment.

The book of Jonah shows us that God’s judgment can be avoided if we turn from our sin. As believers, we can avoid much painful discipline if we are quick to humble ourselves and confess our sins. If we are quick to confess, then God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and restore us to an abiding relationship with Him (1 John 1:8-10). Is your pride keeping you from a right relationship with God today?


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